Time for A New Beginning
by Darkia
Summary: Kenshin and Kaoru have known each other for many years, and this whole time Kaoru has stuck by Kenshin's side When Kaoru accidently over hears a conversation between Sano and Kenshin, how will she be able to cope with this situation? COMPLETE!
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Rurouni Kenshin, yada yada yada, get it? I don't own it! If I owned it, why would I be writing a "Fan Fic." Think about it ppls.

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**Chapter One**

Kaoru sneezed as she stepped out of the rain and underneath the safety of the dojo. _'I'm late again, I hope that they saved me something.'_ She thought and sighed and then sneezed again. She was sopping wet from head to foot, and knew that she was dragging a large trail of water behind her as well as mud. She sighed again thinking of how long it would take to clean up and then stopped at the door.

"Kenshin, what do you think of Kaoru?" Kaoru suddenly heard Sankosuke say behind the door, which made Kaoru stop and just waited there.

"Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked and watched as Sano nodded. "I think many different things of Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said rather puzzled. "What do you mean by the question Sanosuke? There are many different answers to that."

"I mean, relationship." Sano replied, getting rather annoyed with the rurouni.

"Relationship?" Kenshin repeated. "Well, she's a comrade, a friend…"

"I MEAN!" Sanosuke was now yelling at the moment but brought his voice down to finish the sentence. "The way that a man feels about a woman, that way, geeze Kenshin, you're a great samurai but you don't really have anything else beside that."

"Woman Sanosuke?" Kenshin asked with that confused look that he always makes when he gets confused. "Oro? Kaoru-dono's just a kid, she's like a little sister to me. Where is she anyway, she's late, even if she is working at that other dojo." It was then when Kenshin sensed that someone who's energy was failing was standing outside the door, he quickly jumped to his feet and slid open the door just in time to see Kaoru collapsing to the ground. "Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin shouted and quickly jumped to catch her.

"She's drenched." Kenshin said and then turned to Yahiko who had finally put down his chopsticks. "Go get me some blankets!"

"Hai!" Yahiko said with out hesitation and jumped up and then ran to where they kept what ever extra blankets that they had.

"Sano, go get Megumi-san, and try to bring an umbrella with you so you won't catch cold from the rain either." Kenshin said.

Sano nodded, knowing that what Kenshin wanted, Kenshin got. He had fought against Kenshin more times then he had wanted to in the past, and knew that there was no arguing. "Just one thing Kenshin, I wonder if Jo-Chan heard our conversation before she passed out."

"Why would that matter?" Kenshin asked as he picked up Kaoru's body.

"You really are a hopeless man." Sano said as he garbed a near by umbrella and then ran out in to the rain. Kenshin brought Kaoru inside the dojo and brought her to her room. "Kaoru-dono, what have you been doing?"

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When Kaoru woke up she felt someone remove a piece of cloth from her forehead and then replaced it with a wet one. Her cloths had been changed, and she was now dry and warm, though her forehead felt hot. "Kenshin…" Kaoru said faintly and blushed as she recognized the rurouni.

"You're finally awake, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said happily.

"Finally awake? How long had I been sleeping?" Kaoru asked as she stared in to the rurouni's eyes.

"Three days." Kenshin replied with a worried look on his face. "Megumi was worried as well. You had, still have a fervor, but it was higher three days ago then it is now."

"Three days, oh no I got to…" She couldn't finish her sentence since the moment she started to get up, a wave of dizziness swept over her, which forced her to lay back down.

"Whatever it is that you have to do can wait, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said as he stared at her seriously. "Why where you walking home in the rain, especially a cold rain, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked seriously.

"I was visiting a sick friend." Kaoru lied not wanting to tell Kenshin that she had been working at two other dojos just to make a little more money to feed the four of them. "I guess like I didn't realize how late it was and that it was raining so…"

Kenshin put his arms on her shoulders at that moment and held her down tightly which made Kaoru's heart miss a beat. "Are you telling me the absolute truth, Kaoru-dono?" Kenshin asked, his eyes looking in to hers.

"Yes, it is."

"I don't think so, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin said still holding Kaoru like that. "Two men stopped by yesterday wondering where you where the day after you got sick." Kenshin said in the same tone of voice. "They where asking why you didn't show up to work. I knew about at least one other but two, not to mention this one here."

Kaoru just turned her head to the side not wanting to look in to the rurouni's eyes at the moment, not wanting him to see her eyes. "That's my business Kenshin." Kaoru said somewhat coldly. "If I want to work at other places and if they're willing to hire me then why not?"

"Why, why do you have to over work yourself like this?" Kenshin asked.

"That's my business Kenshin, now could you mind, your hurting me."

"Sorry." Kenshin said and released Kaoru. "I'll bring you something to eat and bring the medicine that Megumi-san left for you."

"Do what you want." Kaoru said somewhat coldly as she looked at the wall, not watching the rurouni as he left.

"I'll be back soon, Kaoru-dono."

Kaoru didn't want to see Kenshin at the moment, not after what she heard that night. _"Kaoru-dono's just a kid, she's like a little sister to me."_ She could hear Kenshin say to Sano that rainy night. _"She's just a kid…"_ Kaoru was a legal adult even though she didn't act like it some times, most of the time she knew that she wasn't a normal woman, and didn't act like the quiet type. She yelled a lot, and lost her temper from time to time, but she was still a woman. _"I'm just a child to Kenshin." _ Kaoru thought to herself. _"Just a kid…"_ Tears started to fall. "_Just a kid… He treats Yahiko more like an adult to me and I'm older then him…"_

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It was something more or less almost an hour later when Kenshin finally came back in, and Kaoru turned on to her side and acted like she was pretending to sleep, having had gotten good at doing it when she was a child. She heard a tray of food be put down next to her on one side and then she felt Kenshin's hand on her shoulder. "Kaoru-dono, it's time to wake up, it's time to eat."

Kaoru wasn't really that hungry, and she couldn't tell which one caused it more, her hunger or her sadness of now knowing how Kenshin felt about her. Hesitantly, she "woke" up, and was acting like she had just actually woke up from a nap. "What?" She asked pretending that she didn't hear him the first time.

"It's time to eat." Kenshin repeated. "Do you think that you can sit up?"

Kaoru didn't answer but just sat up, and tried to ignore the dizziness that was coming once again. She clumsily picked up the chopsticks and the bowl and started to eat it slowly, forcing herself to take in the food. The silence was nerving since there usually was a lot of talking between herself and Kenshin. She felt the bowl and chopsticks fall from her hand as she started to fall back on to the futon, but was caught by the red head who sat next to her. "Kenshin…"

"Don't try to push yourself, you'll never get better that way." Kenshin said with a caring voice which made Kaoru blush to how much he was taking care of her. _"She's just a kid…"_ Once again ran through her mind, and she pushed it out of her head. "I guess like I'm not very hungry."

"Just try to eat a little more." Kenshin said as he stared down at the sick female in his arms. "Then you can take your medicine and go back to sleep, Megumi-san said that she would stop by later today to check up on you."

"When was she here?" Kaoru asked.

"I ran in to her when I went out to buy the ingredients for dinner today." Kenshin replied.

"Oh…" Kaoru said and finally picked the chopsticks back up. _'What, what is it going to take to get through to him to how much I care?" _Kaoru asked herself as she now finished eating all that she could and then took the medicine that Kenshin gave her and fell back asleep.

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There is the end to the first chapter of A Time of New Beginnings; this is my first RK fic so tell me what you think.


	2. Chapter 2

**CHAPTER TWO**

When she woke up again, she felt someone touch her forehead gently and then placed a cold wash cloth in its place. "Kenshin…" Kaoru said weakly as she stared up at the rurouni.

"Good morning, Kaoru-dono." Kenshin replied and smiled at her.

"I've been asleep since I woke up yesterday afternoon?" Kaoru asked not being able to believe that she had slept so long.

"No, that was the day before yesterday, Kaoru-dono, it's been nearly five days since you came down sick, and your fervor is now finally beginning to break." Kenshin said and then knocked on wood. "Do you think that you can eat something?" The rurouni asked, his eyes showed concern in them.

"Only if Yahiko doesn't cook it." Kaoru said playfully.

"Alright, alright, I get the point, just stay in bed." Kenshin said softly. "I'll be back of course."

Kaoru sighed as she watched the door shut and watched as Kenshin's shadow walked towards the kitchen, and then finally disappeared. _'I don't think that I'll ever understand him.'_ Kaoru thought as she stared at the spot to where Kenshin had just once been. _'Please open your heart to me, Kenshin.'_

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Sano stood in the corner and watched as Kenshin cut up some vegetables and then dropped them in to the boiling water. "If you don't tell Jo-chan soon, I might just take her from you." The young man with the spiky hair and the symbol bad on his back said as he leaned against the far wall. "She is a woman you know."

"Yes, I know that she is." Kenshin replied almost not listening to his friend.

"I will take her from you, if you don't tell her how you feel." Sano insisted. _'I wonder if he's taking me seriously on this because Jo-chan is just a friend.'_ They where closer in age then Kenshin and Kaoru was, but she was just a lady friend, nothing more, nothing less, and at least he could admit that much.

Kenshin ignored the last comment that Sanosuke made and tended to the soup that he was cooking for Kaoru. The knife was out of his hand, and laid next to the sink, needing to be washed. Kenshin knew that he was harsh to say that Kaoru-dono was just a kid, when he knew that she wasn't but he was a mere rurouni, and didn't even plan on staying from place to place for very long. Staying at Kaoru-dono's dojo for the past year was still longer then he had wanted to stay. "Sanosuke, you perfectly well know that I am still a rurouni." Kenshin said to the younger man which obviously puzzled Sanosuke, since he could hear a "Huh?" coming from the other male in the kitchen. "I never even planned on staying here as long as I have, you of all people should understand me the best."

"Why not stay here Kenshin? Yahiko and Jo-Chan need you."

"Because, I have promised myself something a long time ago that I won't reveal to you." Kenshin said. "But I will tell you this, too many people have died by my blade, which was wielded by my hands. With in this past year of living here, there has been countless danger that has fallen upon you three, and this one can not live with himself, if something should happen to you because of me."

The door was thrown open at that point and Kenshin blinked as Kaoru stood there, tears coming down her eyes. "KENSHIN! YOU BAKA! I HATE YOU!" Even though she was suppose to be sick, she was surprised to have enough strength to yell like that. "GO LEAVE!"

"ORO?" Kenshin said with his eyes doing that confused look of his.

"Go, if you plan on leaving. Let me tell you this much; better explain it to Yahiko on your way out if you want to leave so badly." Kaoru said angrily.

"Kaoru-dono!" Kenshin called after the raven black haired female as she ran out of the kitchen."KAORU-DONO!" Kenshin shouted again, louder this time.

"See Kenshin, too many people care about you here. If you leave, we would probably all fall apart." Sanosuke said as he pushed himself off of the wall. "If you call yourself a man, you should go apologize to Jo-Chan. If you don't, you might as well just go now for being such a baka."

_'Why does he keep acting like this is all of my fault?'_ Kenshin asked himself as he walked Sanosuke leave, following almost the same path that Kaoru-dono had just taken. _'Maybe she did hear me that day when I called her just a kid.'_ Kenshin thought sighing. _'It's a good thing that Yahiko isn't around…'_ He took the soup off of the stove, not wanting it to over cook since they could still eat it later, and knowing Kaoru as well as he did, she had just used up a lot of energy and would want to eat later. _'I guess like I need to go clear up this mess.'_ Kenshin thought sighing.

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_'Why?'_ Kaoru thought as she felt more tears come down her eyes. _'Why is it that every one I know, sooner or later wants to leave me?'_ First it was mother when she was very young, then father, and then her students. She still had Yahiko as a student, but running a dojo on only one student who lived there for free was difficult. _'Money's tight and I know that I'm still sick which is most likely running up a doctors bill, which will make money even tighter until I go back to work again, but, maybe, I just thought that maybe he would stay since he had been here for a year.'_ Kaoru thought as she cried silently, sitting alone in wood like area. She almost didn't notice that she happened to be wearing something other then her pajama's, which she was thankful for since that would be embarrassing if someone saw her dressed in her night cloths which she was not. Warm hands gently held her shoulders which made her jump and quickly stood up and spun around and was now facing Kenshin.

"Kaoru-dono, sorry." Kenshin said. "I didn't realize that you where standing behind the door, you do know that ease dropping is a bad thing right?"

"Yes well you not telling me that you're going to leave is just as bad." Kaoru said angrily, not yelling exactly, but close enough. "If you want to leave, leave, this place seems to be too good for you to stay."

"No, that's not it it's.."

"I knew the type of dangers that we could possibly get in to when I took you in last year Kenshin, your former samurai name, I knew would bring trouble, but you obviously can't understand the reason why I don't care."

"Kaoru-dono…."

"Why, why do you think that I don't care Kenshin? Most women would be frightened and then run away if they had not come to know your better half first."

"Kaoru-dono…"

"Answer me, Kenshin, why do you think I don't care about that?"

_'If you don't tell Jo-Chan how you feel, I will."_ Kenshin could hear Sanosuke say just moments earlier. _'How do I feel about her?' _ He had always been puzzled by this question, and it bothered him for a long time.

"Think about it, Kenshin, just think." Kaoru said as she now felt herself wrap her arms around his waist. She could feel her face flush brightly, most likely as bright as his red hair.

"Kao..ru-do..no…" Was all that Kenshin could say and stared at the female who was now holding him, in surprise.

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Here you go minna-san, the next chapter to this fic. I think I might have said it before but here it is again if I didn't say it. This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fan fic so yeah. Oh! And anything at this point is possible with how the characters act so I guess like it could be called ooc-ness, but oh well. You'll live, it'll fit the story or at least the ooc-ness should fit the story. The rating of the story is because I don't want to take any chances with it and have to change it later in the future in case there happens to be violence, adult themes, swear words, I think you can get the point. This is a Rurouni Kenshin fic and that anime is pretty violent from time to time if you know what I mean… Well enjoy and tell me what you think.

-Darkia-


	3. Chapter 3

Konnichiwa minna san. (Hello every one, or at least that's what I've been told that's what it means. I'm surprised that this story has gotten off so quickly with so many reviews. As you have noticed, this is a Kaoru and Kenshin fic, if you hadn't noticed that by now then you must be stupid. Well thanks for the reviews and keep reviewing please. I love to hear what you think.

**MabuiMiyoko:** I hope that this chapter is a fast enough update for you… it was only the other night when I put up the last one.

**ss1128**: Thanks for the comment. Usually I don't get too many "It's well written." From people who write reviews so yeah!

**-little oro-** : I love the name, it's cute!

**Heavensreject**: Wait no more, here's the next chapter.

**Elgaladangel:** With idiot you mean Kenshin right? I mean you could mean me by that since I'm the idiot who left you at a simi-cliff hanger. Then again to me, when I don't have the next episode, or chapter, or something, it's always a cliff hanger… I don't know if it's like that for you, but yeah.

**Nana**: The oocness is for the use of this story. That and it seems to make things more interesting. You can't really write a fic over a story that already has an ending. (I still haven't seen it but I have heard what happens.) And especially since certain things have already happen if you know what I mean. It makes it difficult to write if there isn't some ooc-ness. Then again, in every fan fic there is at least some ooc-ness.

J**odibetz**: And if you haven't noticed I have kept writing. Not as often as I would like to but I am writing little by little since it's getting more difficult in deciding how I want the characters to act.

Well as for all of you who review and don't review, here is the next chapter so please enjoy.

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**CHAPTER THREE**

"Think about it, Kenshin, just think." Kaoru said as she now felt herself wrap her arms around his waist. She could feel her face flush brightly, most likely as bright as his red hair.

"Kao..ru-do..no…" Was all that Kenshin could say and stared at the female who was now holding him, in surprise.

"I'm in love with you big baka." Kaoru said as she now stood up to be able to see him with out having to bend her neck so far back to look at him. She had finally said it, those words that she had been wanting to say for so long.

Kenshin had always known somehow deep down how Kaoru had felt for him, even though she tried her best to hide it. The only reason why he had said that day when Kaoru fell ill was that he didn't want to get too close to any one when he had decided to finally leave. "Don't leave Kenshin." Kaoru begged and rested his head on his warm chest. _'His heart is beating as fast as mine is.'_ She thought.

"This one does not want to stay and put you in any more danger, Kaoru-Dono." Kenshin said as he held her back. "I have to go."

Kaoru broke away from the rurouni who she had just admitted her feelings to and turned around. "Go then, go have your freedom."

"I suggest that you leave tonight when Yahiko falls asleep." Kaoru said coldly as she now tried to hold back her tears. "Tonight Kenshin, I don't want you to stay any longer, the longer that you stay the harder it will be for us to let you go." Kaoru headed back toward the path to the dojo and said no more.

_'Go then, go and have your freedom.'_ The thoughts from the young woman burned in his mind. _'Kaoru-Dono…'_ If she wanted him gone, he would leave. The only reason why he wanted to go was so that Kaoru-Dono wouldn't get hurt, but that seemed to have worked out completely different then he wanted to. He would go tonight like Kaoru had asked. There would be people he had to see and good byes that he had to make before the time when Yahiko went to bed tonight. He headed in the direction to where he knew Sano would be, it was a place to start. ………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

When Kaoru got back to the dojo, she ran past Yahiko who was doing his chores and ran in to her room, and the sound of Kaoru quickly sliding the door shut could be heard. She slammed herself on to her futon and grabbed the pillow and started to cry. _'Kaoru, you're a baka!'_ She thought to herself as she cried silent tears. She heard a light rap on the door.

"Kaoru, what's wrong?" Yahiko asked through the door.

"Nothing, now leave me alone!"

"But…"

"Go do your chores! Then you have practice, now go!" Kaoru seemed to be saying those words a lot lately. She had told Kenshin to go just a little while ago and now she was going to pay the price for it. _'Why am I such a baka?_' She asked herself. Then again Kenshin had insisted that he couldn't stay _AFTER_ he had hugged her. _'Kenshin, YOU BAKA!'_

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"So you're really leaving tonight Kenshin?" Sano asked with a frown and watched the rurouni's un-changed expression.

"Yes, Kaoru-Dono asked me to leave." Kenshin said as he hid his true feelings from his friend. "I'll miss you Sano."

"Is that all she said? You must have said something to really make her upset." Sano said suspiciously. "She…"

"She told me to go." Kenshin said. "Then again, I had been pushing at her that I was going to leave someday soon."

"If you go the whole team is going to fall apart." Sano said sighing.

"Sorry Sano, but you know that as a rurouni I…"

"I know, I know, you can't stay in one place for long. You have been here for a little over a year though." Sano said. "Why can't you stay?"

"I told you already, I leave tonight when Yahiko is asleep. It'll be better on him this way. Knowing Yahiko he would want to follow me and then his training as a samurai would decrease his potential skill. He would be better off here with Kaoru-dono. He would have a home, and a sister like figure."

"Do you really have to go Kenshin?" Sano asked again.

"Yes, I do, this one has stayed here for far too long."

"I'll be there tonight, but since not to say anything to Yahiko-chan, I'll miss you." Sano said sadly. "Have you told Megumi-san yet?"

"No, I haven't, I was going to head over there when I was done here."

"Go before she gets busy again." Sano said and stood with the rurouni as the rurouni headed for the door.

"Good bye, Sanosuke."

Megumi's office was surprisingly unusually slow when Kenshin had arrived. "Ken-san!" The woman said happily. "What brings you here, you're not hurt from another fight now are you?"

"No, I have to talk to you when you have time." Kenshin replied.

"Understood, come, I'm free after I take care of this last patient." Megumi said being able to understand the seriousness to Kenshin's visit. _'What's happening now?'_

Megumi brought in the tea once she was done with her last patient and poured a cup for Kenshin. "Is Kaoru-Chan feeling better?" Megumi asked. "I was thinking of stopping by later today."

"Her temperature feels back to normal." Kenshin said. "However, that is not the importance of this visit."

"I'm listening." Megumi said and listened to every word that the rurouni had just explained to her. Kenshin started to tell Megumi of what happened earlier, leaving out the personal parts.

"I see, that sounds like Kaoru-Chan, but she does have a point." The young lady doctor said sadly. "You coming in to our lives like that and then you suddenly want to depart after a year. Are you not happy here Kenshin?" She never said his name which made Kenshin realize she was serious since Megumi-Dono had always called him Ken-san.

"Yes, I do. Kaoru-Dono asked me to leave when she found out that I was going to leave soon." Kenshin explained.

"I see, do you know why Kaoru-Chan told you to leave?" Megumi asked knowing how the younger woman felt about the red head rurouni.

"She said that it would be better on all of us if I just left in the middle of the night. Something about the longer I stay the closer our group of friends will get and then it would be even more difficult to say good bye when it came time."

_'He really is a baka of a man.'_ Megumi thought and shook her head. _'He must know how Kaoru-Chan feels about him and yet he keeps pushing her away. Did Kaoru-Chan confess her feelings for him yet?'_ She silently admitted to herself now that the only reason why she ever flirted with Ken-San was to get Kaoru-Chan jealous and so this way Kaoru would most likely end up confessing even faster. However, it seemed like her plan had fell. "I'll stop by tonight then as a doctor's visit. I don't approve of this Ken-san, but you are one of my friends." _'One of my friends who saved me from that hell.'_ She thought.

"I should go back now, Yahiko still doesn't know and…"

"You don't want him to know do you?" Megumi asked as Kenshin stood up.

"No, I don't."

"He'll hate you for that, he looks up to you Kenshin." Megumi said. "Are you sure you won't stay? Everyone will be happier that way."

"No, I can't." Kenshin answered which seemed to be coming out of his mouth a lot lately. "This one has over welcomed his stay."

"Take care Kenshin." Megumi said sadly as she watched him walk out the door. _'Poor Kaoru-Chan, how is she now?'_

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Yes this is a short chapter so forgive. I just don't want to overwhelm you peoples by having everything written in one chapter. Well tell me what you think.


	4. Chapter 4

**CHAPTER FOUR**.

Tonight would be the night that he would leave this place that he had considered his home for the past year and a half. There where many good times and bad times at this place, and hopefully there will be good times once he was gone, far, far away from the people he loved. He sat on the porch and watched as the two young children played and begged him to play with him. "Alright, alright, sessha will play with you."

"YEAY!" The two young girls shouted happily. "You're it!" The oldest girl said and the two ran away happily.

"Yahiko, do you want to play to?" Kenshin asked the young samurai in training who was sitting on the side.

"No, that's fine, I'm worried about Kaoru." Yahiko said sighing. "When I saw her earlier today, she was running back and looked like she was about to cry. I wonder why?"

"I wouldn't know, Yahiko." Kenshin lied.

"Women are so strange, I don't think that I'll ever understand them." The young boy said as he crossed his arms and shook his head.

"Even us older men don't understand women, Yahiko-kun." Kenshin replied.

"Come on oni-chan!" The two little girls called.

"Hai, hai, coming!"

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Sano and Megumi came as they said that they would, and seemed to make a cheerful face, acting like nothing was wrong. "I wish I knew that Megumi-San was coming." Kaoru sighed. "Oh well." Kaoru said and headed in to the kitchen silently.

"Kaoru-Chan, wait up! I'll help." Megumi offered and hurried after the younger woman. _'Maybe I'll be able to get her to confess what really happened.'_

"Sure!" Kaoru said as she forced herself to smile. "Thanks."

"Jo-Chan is putting on a pretty good face." Sano whispered to Kenshin after he made sure that Yahiko was gone.

"Yes, I'm surprised that she can."

"She can what?" Yahiko asked as he now popped up behind the two older men who turned their heads to see the younger boy.

"To be able to cook since she's just gotten over being sick." Kenshin managed to think quickly and Yahiko gave him questioning eyes. "Not to mention her cooking is bad already, can you imagine if she sneezes in it or something?" Sano asked.

"Maybe I should go…"

"No, you can stay with us, that's why Megumi-Dono went to help."

"Oh…"

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Kaoru was a little too cheerful or at least Megumi thought that she was. "Are you sure that nothing happened between you and Ken-san?" The older woman asked Kaoru who stopped cutting the vegetable that she was cutting and seemed to stare out somewhere. "No." Kaoru lied not wanting Megumi to know that she had actually confessed her feelings for the red head rurouni. "Nothing, he just said that he was ready to leave, and then I told him that I wanted him to go now before any of us got any closer then we already are. And just because he leaves this dojo, it doesn't necessarily mean that he has to leave Tokyo."

"Kaoru-Chan, Sanosuke baka told me what happened." Megumi said and then she watched as Kaoru dropped the knife, letting it bang against the edge of the counter until it finally slid off on to the floor, landing next to Kaoru's foot. "What really happened?"

"It's none of your business." Kaoru snapped and picked up the knife and started to chop again.

"If you love him, stop him before he leaves." Megumi continued.

"He doesn't want to stay, he was the one who had first insisted that he was going to leave, I just gave him the shove on his wish."

"Is there some reason that he has to stay? Besides the fact that he had became very close to all of us with in this past year?"

"No, I don't really see any."

"Maybe he's just not willing to admit it?" Megumi asked. "Maybe…"

"I know what you're trying to do, Megumi-Chan, I've already confessed if that's what you mean. He still wanted to leave."

"Kaoru-Chan…"

"I'm not going to be the reason why he feels obligated to loosing his freedom as a rurouni, a wandering samurai Megumi-Chan. I know that you mean well, but if he won't listen to reason, then there's no point in making him stay." Kaoru said as she tried to keep herself from crying once again. "If he ever decides to come back to me, well then that's his choice."

"Wow, Kaoru-Chan, I never knew that you could be this blunt!"

"Kenshin only thinks of me as a child, Megumi-Chan, so get ideas like those out of your head. He admitted it himself, if Sanosuke baka didn't tell you that."

"Kaoru-Chan, I think that Ken-san's just doing that to protect you."

"Just mind your own business, Megumi-Chan, I know that you mean well, but I just don't want to hear it right now."

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Dinner went as normal as usual, besides the fact that Kaoru decided to get herself drunk by drinking just a little cup of wine (I can't remember how the Japanese word for wine is spelt so here's the English word.) that Sanosuke had brought over. Yahiko sighed and shook his head at the female who was suppose to be his sensei. _'Sometimes I wonder why I agreed to this in the first place.'_ Yahiko thought to himself and sighed again. She was all over Kenshin, which was really annoying, though Kenshin didn't seem to mind it though, or at least that's what Yahiko thought. _'Grown ups…'_ He thought and sighed once more. "Geeze Kaoru baka! Get a hold of yourself!" Yahiko shouted across the table to the only drunk there.

"Who are you calling a baka, baka? I'm your sensei! Show some damn respect!"

'Did Kaoru just curse?" Yahiko asked Kenshin who was also staring at Kaoru in surprise. (I can't remember if Kaoru curses a lot or not. It's been a little over a year since I've seen the small part of the anime that I have… only up to episode 34 I think since I refuse to watch the English version.)

"Maybe you had a little too much to drink, I wouldn't drink that next cup, Jo-Chan." Sanosuke suggested and tried to coach Kaoru out of drinking the cup of wine in her hand, but she did it anyway. "She's a bad drunk."

"Only a kid would be this bad at being drunk, Kaoru-Chan." Megumi said slyly, trying to get the other female to loose her temper, which was so easily done.

"WHAT DO YOU MEAN BY DRUNK? MEGUMI-CHAN?" Kaoru yelled and Kenshin's face once again had that look on his face as he did "ORO?" (I'm sure that you can imagine the face by now. It's difficult to describe…)

"YOU'RE DRUNK YOU OLD HAG!" Megumi shouted back.

"I'm NOT DRUNK, AND I'M NOT A HAG!"

"YES WELL WHAT ELSE WOULD YOU BE THEN? A KID?" Megumi shouted back which made Kaoru's eyes widen and then she suddenly fell silent.

"Yahiko's the kid around here." Kaoru said finally, now being a little calmer. "WHY THE HELL DOES EVERY ONE THINK THAT I'M A KID?"

"Everyone, calm down, I think that Kenshin's…." Sano started to say but was ignored.

"WHY? THAT'S OBVIOUSLY WHY KEN-SAN DOESN'T WANT TO STAY HERE WITH YOU AND…" Megumi had said it, Kaoru stood up quickly at the point, even if she was drunk, she could still understand what Megumi had just said. She turned her back and clumsily walked to another part of the dojo and stumbled a feel times as walked.

"What does she mean Kenshin? That you don't want to stay here?"

"ORO?" Kenshin's eyes where swirling around. and he finally sat up once the yelling had stopped. "You didn't have to go that far, Megumi-Dono."

"Yes, well she needs to stop acting so childish and act more like an adult."

Kenshin didn't say anything but walked over toward where Kaoru was now sitting, in the dark, and rather alone. "Kaoru-dono…"

"Don't…" Hiccup. "Even…" Hiccup. "Speak to…" Hiccup. "Me… Ken…" Kenshin couldn't believe that he had done it, but he did it. He had just kissed Kaoru, which instantly shut the young woman up. He could feel three sets of eyes on them but didn't care.

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This has gotten really ooc… I didn't realize that it was so much ooc-ness… at least Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi are sort of more ic instead of Kenshin and Kaoru ne?

**XKenKao12X**: Um… if you decide to kill yourself… it's not my fault for thinking of such things since I never told you "Go kill yourself." Or anything like that. So I am not responsible for any deaths, addiction to drugs, drinking, etc.

**ss1128**: You really haven't been paying attention to the anime/manga have you? I have only read volume 1 of the manga, but in the anime, there are sooooooo many freaking hits… it takes like… forever I think… I never seen the ending so I don't know what happens. O.O

**Emotional**: Yes I agree, he is so damn dense. He's that way in the anime to remember? So I got that part IC at least. XD!

**Universal Fighter:** Well actually you do have a point there that Kaoru would never confess her love like that but maybe if a person is in extreme emotional stress, she might… even Kaoru ya know? People in love do weird things when they think that their about to loose someone that they love. I never personally been in love before, but this is what I have observed and such. Maybe me being single is the reason why I like to write fan fics that always are romantic? Interesting thing to think about.


	5. Chapter 5

I apologize for the ooc-ness once again, but well there are many explanations for that in this chapter. A. They could be both drunk, but with Kenshin…. That's not a very likely story. B… I'm just blurting out things to make it go faster. C….. I don't know. A Is the best reason. O.O So just enjoy the show! Or fic……

**CHAPTER FOUR**

Kaoru's eyes widen not having had expected Kenshin to kiss her like that. She closed her eyes even though she questioned the kiss. She had longed for this ever since she first met him, but she now wondered why he was doing it. Why now? After all this time? Was he pleading for her to let him stay? The same questions ran through her mind over and over again. She stared in to his purple eyes after he had broken the kiss. "Ken…shin…" He didn't say anything, he just stared in to her eyes. "My farewell present, Kaoru-Dono."

Kaoru's heart felt like it was going to stop, she didn't want him to leave, she didn't want him to leave. She wanted to call out to him to stay, but knew that it would be useless. Tears started to come down her eyes as she silently cried and could feel his hand wipe them away. "Come now, Kaoru-Dono, we need to get back to the oth…" He caught her once again as she fell. With out saying a word, he picked the young woman up and carried her to her futon and laid her down. "Good bye, Kaoru-Dono." He said and kissed the young woman on her forehead.

"Ken…shin…" She seemed to mutter in her sleep as he walked toward her bedroom door and stopped to once again look at the woman who he had just kissed. _'Sessha is doing this for your sake, Kaoru-Dono. Do not hate Sessha for this.'_

Yahiko, Sano, and Megumi where waiting for him outside. "She just fell asleep, Sessha thinks that it's from all of the drinking she was doing tonight." Sano and Megumi where staring at him seriously. "So are you still going to?" Sano asked not wanting to finish the sentence.

"Yes, I was waiting until later tonight but it seems that I…"

"I want to go with you Kenshin!" Yahiko pleaded with the older former samurai.

"Yahiko…" Kenshin said sadly. "How long have you known?"

"By the way everyone's acting, I want to go with you Kenshin!" Yahiko pleaded again.

"Kaoru-Dono needs you, and you need her Yahiko." Kenshin said and voided turning around to look in to the young one's eyes. "She can teach you how to improve your skills more then you know."

"But…"

"Your sensei is Kaoru-Dono, Yahiko, remember that. Sessha is not your sensei, but Kaoru-dono is."

"But…" Yahiko said and suddenly threw his wooden sword at Kenshin's head. "BAKA WHY DO YOU WANT TO LEAVE EVERYONE?" Yahiko shouted at the older male. "WHY? I… "

"Sessha is leaving because of his own selfish reasons Yahiko." Kenshin explained sadly. "No enemy is forcing Sessha this time." Kenshin started to walk back toward the exit once again. "Good bye, Yahiko."

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When Kaoru woke up, her head hurt, and everything that happened last night seemed fuzzy. Then she remembered that Kenshin was suppose to leave last night. "Kenshin…" She muttered softly and then cried.

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The next few weeks took getting use to by just having Kaoru and Yahiko there. Sanosuke still came around, but not as often as he did when Kenshin was here. Kaoru had almost forgotten to what it felt like to have the dojo almost completely to herself. She had once again continued to work at the other three dojos since the number of students at her dojo had still remained low and she still needed to make some sort of money to live off of. The sensei's of the other dojos where nice enough to give her a job since they had known her father when he was alive.

"Kamiya-Sensei, Ja ne!" One of the young female students called as she left.

"Ja ne, Sakura-Chan." Kaoru said and watched as the last student left the dojo. "Hiwati-San, today's practice went well, don't you think?" Kaoru asked the older man who nodded. Hiwati, Setsuna was the owner of the dojo that she was working at today. He was slightly older then what her father would have been, but he still looked young even though he was middle aged.

"Hai, Kaoru-Dono, it did. I'm glad to see that the students are improving." Hiwati-San said smiling. "Though, I hope you don't mind me being nosy, but don't you think that it's time for you to start to teach at your own dojo again? I mean your help is always welcomed here, but I know you have that dojo of yours to run and…"

"I know I do, Hiwati-San, but, the amount of students haven't been the same ever since…"

"Ever since that man decided to use your school's name against you and ruined your name and skill." Hiwati said sadly. "However, I know that you have talent, and I'm not just saying that because I'm a friend, I'm saying it as a fellow sensei."

"I know Hiwati-San." Kaoru said.

"I'm saying this since your father was one of my closest friends before he died almost two years now. (In the series or manga, I can't remember which, Kaoru's father had been killed/died six months before Kenshin came. I can't remember, I'm using this number for the story.) "If you are not going to teach any more, Kaoru-San, then why not get married?"

Kaoru's eyes widened at the word. _'Married…'_ She thought. The only man who she wanted had left her, three weeks ago, and she was still getting use to it.

"I could find a matchmaker to hook you up with a good man, Kaoru-San." Hiwati suggested. "I only say this because I think of you as my own daughter and am concerned about your well being."

"No, I don't want to give up teaching and get married yet, Hiwati-San, I don't think that any man could handle me." Kaoru said which made the older man laugh. "If I ever do get married, I want it to be of my own choice."

"Are you sure about this Kaoru-San?" Hiwati asked.

"Yes, I'm sure, thank you. I am still young and want to live my life as it is for now."

"Alright," The middle aged man sighed. "If you should ever change your mind."

"I know I know, come ask you. Now if you excuse me, I have to be getting back home now." Kaoru said as she glanced up at the sun. "Yahiko-Chan is by himself right now and…"

"Go to your student then, Kaoru-San, I'll see you tomorrow." Hiwati said and Kaoru bowed respectfully and walked out.

_'Marriage? Is he nuts? The only man that I wanted to get married to left me, why would I want to marry any one else?'_ She could see his face so clearly in her mind as if she had just seen him this morning. His long red hair, his violet eyes, the smile that he gave everyone; it made her want to cry just thinking about him, but she knew from the beginning that he would leave no matter what. The cool fall breeze caught hold of her hair, and she looked up at the sky. _'Kenshin, what are you doing now?'_

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Yes it's another cliff hanger but not as bad as the others where. I thought that this would be a good place to leave off at since it can go really just about anywhere. I'm so surprised to how many people have reviewed so far. There are more reviews on this fic then there are on one of my other current fic projects. I'm sorry once again for the short chapter but writers block is being a pain in the butt so…. Yeah…. That kind of effects the length/story period.


	6. Chapter 6

Wow…. So many reviews with out asking for them. Thank's everyone! I wish I could get this many reviews on one of my other fics with just four chapters. O.O Well anyways enjoy.

P.S. I JOINED THE SCHOOL ANIME CLUB TODAY! WHOOHO:sighs: I am such a nerd.

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A whole month had gone by at the dojo since Kenshin left and things remained as gloomy as ever, especially with Kaoru. She and Yahiko didn't seem to fight as often as they did when Kenshin was here since Kaoru had shut herself up in her room whenever she was done practicing with Yahiko and only came out for dinner from time to time. Sometimes she ate in her room alone.

Yahiko knew that he was still technically a kid, but knew that this type of behavior wasn't normal, for an adult or an older child. They had just finished practicing and Kaoru had went to take her shower and then shut herself away once again in to her room like she had been doing ever since Kenshin had left. Yahiko admitted that he missed Kenshin as well, but he knew that once a person was gone, they where gone. He had loosed so many people in his life and knew that you had to get use to it no matter how much it hurt. Yahiko sighed as he was now doing what use to be Kenshin's old chores and suddenly watched in surprise as Kaoru actually came out of her room for once and headed to the front gate. "I'm going to go get things for dinner." Kaoru said, and Yahiko could tell this since she was wearing one of her kimonos.

"Hai!" Yahiko said trying not to look like he was worried.

"You want to come to?" Kaoru asked which surprised Yahiko.

"Why so you can try to beat me up you old hag?" Yahiko asked as he tried to get Kaoru in to one of their normal fights, it seemed to have worked.

"What do you mean by old hag? You damned brat!" Kaoru said, fire began to surround her. (Like in the anime.)

"What are you…" Yahiko started to ask but could hear the familiar chuckling from behind them. "Sanosuke…" Yahiko said a bit surprised.

"Yo, I haven't been around for a while. I thought I come for a visit. That and Megumi-san said that she wants to see you, something about a surprise…. I don't even know what it is." Sano said and gave a little wink at Yahiko.

"We where just going to town." Kaoru said which Sanosuke could obviously tell. "You can stay here or come with us."

"I think I'd rather come with you guys, you'll probably put me to work if I stay here Jo-Chan." Sano said and gave a wink to Yahiko.

"Hai, hai!" Yahiko nodded in agreement not knowing what the hell was going on put was playing along any way, anything to get Kaoru-Chan out of the dojo.

"Well let's go then." Kaoru said. "I suppose that you'll be staying for dinner?" Kaoru asked Sano who tried not to shudder at the thought of Kaoru's cooking. "Maybe…" Sano answered. "It depends if something comes up or not. I mean important, not like I would ever want to miss one of your home cooked meals Jo-Chan." Once Kaoru turned her back, he sighed. _'Damn that was close.'_ Sano thought and followed behind Kaoru with Yahiko.

"So what's Megumi-San planning?" Yahiko asked in a whisper.

"I was telling the truth, I really don't know. She's worried about… you know since…. You know…." Sano said not wanting to say any names or anything that might upset Kaoru even further.

"Maybe we should go see Megumi-San first, after all, it would be kind of embarrassing carrying food in to a doctors office." Kaoru said and Yahiko and Sano nodded not wanting to argue.

"Kaoru-San!" Kaoru heard her name being called by a familiar voice and stopped to turn around.

"Oh, Konnichiwa Hiwati-San." Kaoru said bowing.

"Konnichiwa Kaoru-Chan." Hiwati replied. "Do you remember the offer I made you yesterday? I know that you said no, but I thought that there's someone that you might be interested…"

"I SAID NO!" Kaoru said rather loudly which made more then just a few handful of people look at her strangely. "I told you no already, I don't want to be set up with any one so just mind your own business about my love life! I don't think that I should work for you any more." Kaoru said feeling rather embarrassed that any of this had to happen and she turned and continued to walk towards Megumi's office.

"What did he ask you yesterday Jo-Chan?" Sano asked wearily.

"He asked me if I wanted him to find me someone to marry and that I should marry and give up sword fighting since I'm a young woman." Kaoru answered angrily, not meaning to direct her anger at Sano. "If my father where alive, and he had chosen a man for me to marry, then I would have no choice, but he wouldn't have done it even if he was alive, he would have wanted me to choose my own husband like mother did." Kaoru explained. "I don't go for those arrange marriages, even if it is for publicity."

Yahiko was surprised that anyone would even ask Kaoru such a question and live! He was surprise that Hiwati-san was still alive. Then again, he figured that he lived only because Kaoru didn't fight with older men unless if they attacked her first. Well unless if it was Kenshin, Kaoru didn't seem to have a problem hitting or smacking him around. Sano and Yahiko both knew that it was best to walk the rest of the way in silence. Once they got to Megumi's office, Megumi lead Kaoru, Yahiko, and Sano down the hall and in to a room. A familiar looking man was laying un-consciounce on the bed and had a heavy blow to his side.

Kaoru gasped in surprise as she instantly recognized the red head rurouni. "Ken…shin…." And with that she passed out, and was caught by Sano who stood behind her.


	7. Chapter 7

**CHAPTER SEVEN**

When Kaoru woke up, she found herself in a strange un-familiar bed, in to which she assumed was Megumi's office. She remembered that Sano had told her that Megumi had a surprise for them, though he never mentioned that it was good or bad. Kaoru should have never came here, she felt so stupid now that she knew what Megumi's surprise was. Kenshin was back, but what happened to him, he had a terrible looking would on his side, and Kaoru remembered that the last words she had said to him was 'go!' She wanted to cry and hated herself now as she saw Kenshin's sleeping face in her mind, he never got injured, not that bad. What was worse was that she had gotten herself drunk the day that he left! Why, why was she such a baka? Megumi came in then, and slid the door open and then closed it behind her.

"You're finally awake, Kaoru-Chan." Megumi said calmly. "When I was in Kyoto, I was visiting a sick patient who had recently moved there and there was a fight, I didn't see who it was fighting, but when I finally got close enough, a crowd had gathered and I had to get through the crowd and a man cloaked in black ran away, jumping over people and knocking them down as he tried to escaped. I had to order these people to move aside for me since I was a doctor and needed to look at any wounded and I saw Kenshin…."

Kaoru just stared at Megumi in shock. Kenshin, her Kenshin, Kenshin never got knocked out. Not as long as she knew him he had never been knocked unconscounce. Not once, he had gotten injured yes, but not this badly injured. "Can I see him?" Kaoru asked Megumi who nodded.

"Yes, but try to keep it down, he needs his rest. He woke up earlier sometime after you fainted and we tried asking what happened but he wouldn't answer." Megumi said which made Kaoru look to the ground.

"It's all my fault." Kaoru said almost silently. "It's all my fault, if I didn't tell him to leave…"

"No, you can't blame yourself for what happened to Ken-San when he is away." Megumi said as she tried to reassure the younger woman. "He's the baka who kissed you and then ran off."

"He kissed me?" Kaoru asked blinking not remembering that.

"Hai, you don't remember that? You must have been extremely drunk not to." Megumi said sighing and shook her head.

Kaoru blushed. "Where are Sanosuke and Yahiko?"

"Yahiko and Sano have been helping me out around here since I don't want the two of them to bother Ken-San." Megumi said. "I've been keeping them busy."

Megumi led Kaoru down the hall to the room where Kenshin was, she wasn't sure if Kenshin was still sleeping but Kaoru wanted to see him even if he was. Kaoru slid open the door quietly and walked in, she noticed that Megumi shut the door behind Kaoru. (I would have said behind her but this is just in case some of you get confused to behind her.) Kaoru walked over to where Kenshin was quietly and looked down at his sleeping face. "Kenshin…" She whispered and sighed.

"Kaoru-Dono…" Kenshin said sadly which made Kaoru step back a bit. "I didn't wake you did I?" She asked.

"No, Shessha (I read somewhere that Kenshin calls himself Sessha when he talks about himself. You can tell me if I'm wrong.) was already awake." Kenshin said as he looked up at her with his purple eyes.

"What happened to you Kenshin?" Kaoru asked as she placed her hand on to his cheek. She blushed as Kenshin touched her hand with his. "I got careless that's all." Kenshin said.

"Well if you wouldn't have been such a baka and decided that you wanted to leave none of this would have happened in the first place!" Kaoru suddenly snapped and pulled her hand. "BAka baka ba…" Before she could say any more Kenshin pulled her down and kissed her.

Kaoru looked at Kenshin once he broke the kiss and she couldn't help but blush. "Ken…shin…" He didn't say anything, all he did was look at her and smile. "Let's go home." Kenshin said and Kaoru couldn't help but look at him with tearful eyes. "Do you mean that Kenshin?"

"Yes, Sessha does." Kenshin said and Kaoru smiled down at him happily. "Hai! Once Megumi-San says that you can come." Kaoru said which made Kenshin frown. "You're not going to make me stay here much longer now are you?"

"This is YOUR fault for leaving you baka." Kaoru hissed.

"Hai, hai." Kenshin said giving in.

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This chapter is really ooc and stuff but oh well…. Here is the next very short chapter of this fic.


	8. Chapter 8

**Chapter Eight**

Kenshin came back to the dojo later that week and things where strange at the dojo. Yahiko didn't know if he was happy or not that Kenshin came back and Kaoru was happy as a clam besides the fact that she had to take care of him whenever she came home from work. Kenshin still hadn't answered any one's question to how he got injured besides the fact that "He got careless." Was the only thing that he would say. He also never mentioned the kiss again, the one that he had given to her on the day that he came back. _'Is he still just playing around with me?' _Kaoru thought as she did the laundry and stared at the red head rurouni. She had been hinting at him that she liked him for countless times now and had even told him that she loved him, but he wouldn't say anything about it. He did kiss her, but a kiss could mean any thing. She knew that normally a kiss on the lips meant that it was more then just friendship, but she didn't know, not with the way that he acted.

"I'm going now." She told the two males later that day before she left for the other two dojos. "I want a hot bath when I get home." She said to Yahiko and just glanced at Kenshin through the corner of her eye as she now headed toward the gate. _'Marriage… would that ever happen between me and Kenshin?'_ She thought to herself as she could still remember the kiss that he had given her that day when he came back. _'No, most likely not.'_ Was her own pathetic answer which made her sigh.

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Once Kaoru was out of Kenshin's sight he turned to Yahiko. "What happened while I was away?" Kenshin asked noticing how Kaoru was acting strangely towards him.

Yahiko didn't really want to be involved with the two's affair but had was already involved the day that he first moved in. "Are you going to leave again?" He asked not wanting to tell Kenshin anything that might hurt Kaoru once again if Kenshin decided to leave.

"That depends…" Kenshin said and had that strange distant look in his eyes that he always has when he is thinking about something serious.

"Then I'm not telling." Yahiko said which made Kenshin look at him since Yahiko usually always told Kenshin what was happening and always did as he asked. "Normally I'd tell you but not since you won't give me a straight answer to how you got that injury. You could at least tell Kaoru."

"Sessha already answered Kaoru-Dono." Kenshin said to the young boy. "Perhaps Megumi-Dono taking me back here was a bad idea."

"Perhaps it was Kenshin, but I'll tell you this, if you leave again I won't forgive you." Yahiko said and then started to walk away. "I'll see you later, I got chores to do before practice."

Things really have changed around here with in the short time that he was gone. He wondered if him leaving was the only thing that made Kaoru and Yahiko act strangely around him, even Sanosuke hadn't been over since he had come back which was unusually strange. He couldn't stay here he realized, which would break his trust with these people completely, not as long as that man was still alive. A man with midnight black hair and dark blue eyes stared at him mockingly in his mind. "You are a disgrace to our master." The man said which made Kenshin stare at him coldly, that evil side of him coming out.

"That's funny, you where the one who had left our dojo before your training was finished." Kenshin said coldly to the man, his eyes flashing dangerously between gold to purple.

"You have abandoned your samurai ways and have become a mere rurouni, Himura, Kenshin." The man said and with drew his sword. A long blade with jagged edges and the blade at the end was broken off. His dark cloths matched the rest of him, and the only thing that was really noticeable besides the blade was his face, barely visible underneath that black cloak.

"What do you want Setsuna?" Kenshin asked as he tried to keep his calm rurouni side in tact.

"For you to suffer, Himura-San. Everything and everyone you care about to suffer painfully in front of your eyes, especially that damn woman that you've been living with for over the past year and that kid of yours." Setsuna started to say. "For you to loose everything and anything that you possibly own. Your famous name in history, you being a legend, your sanity, and eventually your life."

"That will not happen, Setsuna-San." Kenshin said calmly and could feel a crown start to surround the two of them. "This is neither the place or time to discuss it, Setsuna-San." Kenshin said as his eyes still flickered between colors dangerously.

"Oh but this is the perfect place to discuss it." Setsuna said as he with drew his sword. "If you do not fight me I will kill all of these innocent people."

"I know your style already Setsuna! This is pointless!" Kenshin said whishing that the people near by would move away, since Setsuna was a dangerous man from his past. Before Kenshin could react he felt Setsuna's blade painfully dive through his side, being lucky to miss any of his major organs. He then felt it slowly being pulled out and then Setsuna licked the blade before sheathing the weapon once more.

"Thanks for the drink, Himura-San. I will keep my promise however, those people will suffer for what you have done to me." Setsuna said as he now jumped over the crowd of people, using one of them as a footstool and then disappeared in to the crowd somewhere behind the screams of people as Kenshin now felt himself falling over and then hit the ground.

After that he was in someone's doctor's office with some strange male doctor and Megumi talking to one another and he could hear Megumi-Dono saying something about letting her take him back to Tokyo and this is where he was now. Sestuna was after these people, his friends and Kenshin wouldn't let Sestuna do as he pleased any longer. He stood up while Yahiko was busy doing his chores on the other side of the dojo and then started heading out. Once he got to the gate, Sanosuke and Megumi where there to stop him.

"Leaving so soon?" Sanosuke asked and then punched the rurouni in the face. Kenshin spun around clumsily and then fell to the ground. "ORO?"

"That was uncalled for you baka!" Megumi said to Sanosuke who blinked at her and expected to get slapped but wasn't. "However you do have the right idea in this case." Megumi said ignoring the strange look that she got from Sanosuke since she was actually agreeing with him for once. "You aren't even healed completely yet." Megumi said bending over and touched Kenshin's wound. "Is this any way that you want to thank me for saving your life?"

Sanosuke instantly picked up Kenshin and started dragging him back to the main housing part of the dojo. "Stop struggling you baka!" Sanosuke growled as Kenshin tried to escape Sanosuke's grasp. Sano knew that if it wasn't for Kenshin's injury, he would have been able to get away a little too easily.

"Why is it that you want to leave so badly?" Megumi said as Sanosuke put Kenshin down.

Kenshin didn't reply but got a surprised slap from Kaoru who had suddenly appeared from no where. "BAKA! You want to leave again? Why did you ask if you could come back home? Why do you want to get yourself injured again?"

"ORO!" Kenshin said. "When did you get back Jo-Chan?" Sanosuke asked Kaoru.

"Just now." Kaoru said angrily. "I came back from work early to make sure that you're alright and here you are wanting to leave again!"

"Kaoru-Dono…"

"Damn you!" Kaoru said and was ready to attack Kenshin again but Sano grabbed her behind the arms and held her back. "Damn it baka! Let me go!"

"Calm down Jo-Chan, he should give us a reason first." Sano said trying to calm the younger female down. Silence filled between the four grown ups as they waited for Kenshin to answer why it was so important for him to leave.

"I am a rurouni, a wandering samurai." Was all that Kenshin answered. Sano released Kaoru who slapped Kenshin again.

"It's time for us to leave, Megumi-San, I'll get Yahiko." Sano said and Megumi nodded in agreement knowing that the two needed their time alone. Sano could barely see sad eyes underneath Kenshin's long red bangs as he headed off in to the direction to where Yahiko was. Once Megumi had walked out of the dojo entrance and then Sanosuke followed her, carrying a struggling Yahiko on his back, the dojo doors where shut and Kenshin and Kaoru where left alone.

"You said that you wanted to come home, Kenshin." Kaoru said, with tears now streaming down her eyes. "Why, why did you say that if you just want to leave me again?"

"Kaoru-Dono I can't…"

"Stay I know, but at least give me a reason why. Especially after you kissed me I deserve a reason why. When a man kisses a woman on the lips like that it isn't just out of friendship Kenshin."

Kenshin got up and whipped Kaoru's tears away with his hand. "There's someone from my past who wants to hurt you, Kaoru-Dono…" Kenshin said trying to think of how to explain this to the younger woman who was now in his arms.

"How many times have I heard that line since I first met you Kenshin?" Kaoru asked in between sobs. "How many? I've lost track one too many times. There is always someone from your past who wants to hurt you Kenshin."

"He won't stop until everyone I cares about is dead, and he knows about you, Yahiko, and most likely Megumi-Dono, and Sano."

"You think of me only as a child don't you, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked sadly. "There's someone else that you like… as… a… woman isn't there?" Kaoru managed to say. "Someone older, closer to your age."

There was one woman in his past to who he had once loved when she lived, but she was gone now. "In the past yes, but she's been gone for a long time now, Kaoru-Dono."

Kenshin did have a woman that would explain to why he wouldn't want to be with her. Kaoru wanted to do something besides being held by Kenshin, she was already crying and she couldn't stop herself from crying. "That's why you don't…" Kaoru started to say but was silenced by the rurouni's lips.

"I don't want to be with you, because I don't want to hurt you if I leave." Kenshin said after the kiss which left Kaoru almost breathless.

"It's too late for that, Kenshin." She said sighing. "I…" She suddenly said but was silenced.

"This is as far that we should take it."

Kaoru was blushing brightly now, most likely as bright as Kenshin's hair. "I… I…" Her heart was beating fast being this close to him. _'Too close…'_ She thought but she wanted to be closer. "Could we…"

"Oro?" Kenshin asked oblivious to what Kaoru-Dono was getting at.

"We are alone Kenshin." Kaoru said almost in a whisper. "Let… let me be with you…"

"Kaoru-Dono…." Kenshin said not knowing how to respond as much as he wanted to do that, he knew that he shouldn't. That would make her his and that would put her in even more danger then she was already in.

"Just kidding!" Kaoru said as she broke free of the hug and turned around and tried to get her flushing face to calm down as well as her heart. "I'm just joking! Don't take everything I say so seriously." The truth was, was that she wasn't joking and that she wanted to be close to Kenshin, as close as he would let her be. He was a man of many secrets, his past, even his present was a big secret to her. She just wanted to be one of his secrets, even if he had a woman in his life before her, she wanted him to be her first. "I just wanted to see what you would act like if I said something strange like that." It hurt to say those words, but if he didn't want to, she wouldn't' force him.

"Kaoru-Dono…" Was all that Kenshin could reply. He was the man and should have been asking her that but instead it was the other way around. "I'll leave in the morning again. You are all in danger by me staying here."

_'Doesn't he understand that we're already in danger because he knows about us?'_ Kaoru thought feeling rather depressed and embarrassed at the same time. _'As long as you are close to us in any way that man will want to hurt us. I.. I just want to be close to you and protect you.'_ Kenshin's past, why couldn't Kenshin's past just let them be? She wanted to be with him, every time he faced danger, she felt pain for him, and just wanted to take away all of his burdens, but he refused her every time with out realizing what she really meant. "Forget what I said about me wanting to be with you, it was some lame joke that Megumi-San said that I should play on you." Kaoru said as she managed to hold back the tears that wanted to come. Her eyes widened as she now felt Kenshin's arms around her once again.

"Sorry Kaoru-Dono…" Kenshin whispered in his ear. "But that is not one request that this one can forget." He lead her in to the bedroom gently which surprised Kaoru since he was still injured and was willingly to do this. "Sorry for this one's selfish actions."

"Ken…shin…" Was all that Kaoru managed to say before he pinned her down and kissed her. ……………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………

Do do do do do. :evily grins: I do not write long lemons so you can get that out of your head you hentai bakas:pulls out giant mallet and baps you all with it that are hentai.:


	9. Chapter 9

Ok yeah hi it's me Darkia-San. Yeah, well let me just say wow, I'm surprised to how many reviews I have been getting with so few chapters…. I'm impressed! Seriously!

**Dark Anime Love:** That's where I got the name Setsuna from actually. I figured or assumed that Setsuna was a popular Japanese name, or at least in mangas/anime's and couldn't get in trouble if I used it since well I've seen it in more then one anime/manga.

**royal blueKitsune:** Um Ok just for starters, DO NOT tell me how to write MY Fic. Whatever you do to any of YOUR fics is fine but DO NOT tell me how to write my fic. It's not like I'm a novice at this and can't think of what to do on my own. It really ticks me off when people try to tell me how to write it or what to write in it. If you haven't notice, this isn't my first fic as my stories list will tell you.

**Reignashii:** Yes I did because I'm an evil woman who has nothing else better to do then besides leave cliffies for her fic fans.

**Mabuimiyoko**: Um I write when I want to so don't push it or I'll wait a whole month or more to post the next chapter. Just because I don't have it up, doesn't mean that I don't already necessary have it written.

**saskia2**: Um… I really don't understand what you where trying to say, but the only part that I understood was jerk…

**Dar Sel'La:** It's kind of like that in the anime/manga to if you haven't noticed. She hints at him so much and yet the baka can't figure it out. :sighs: As either Sano or Yahiko said. "He's the worlds best samurai but as a man, he's just an idiot." Or something like that… I don't remember the exact words.

**Emotional:** Bold… I don't really think so, it's just want he wants to say but can't say it. Or at least this is how I think of it.

**Dark Anime Love:** To be honest with you…. I don't really know where this fic is going. O.O

I think I'll leave it there for now…. If I go on…. Well it could get pretty long and all of you will get bored of me rambling on and on and on…. Wait I'm already doing that! Hehe : innocent look: Yeah right. . Anyways before any more typo demons decide to pop up, enjoy. (Just so you'll all know… typo demons will most likely come even after I stop rambling.)

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**CHAPTER NINE**

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When Kaoru woke up the next morning, she blushed at the thoughts to what happened the night before. Was that really Kenshin, or was that someone who just looked and acted like Kenshin? Kaoru wondered as she stared up at the dark ceiling. For years she had been trying to tell the red head rurouni how she felt and wanted to know his feelings, and he had showed his finally, even though it was a little more then she expected. (In case you peoples didn't get the HUGE HINTS… they slept together…. Go re-read the ending of the last chapter if you're not sure!) Her eyes moved to where Kenshin had fallen asleep when they where done yesterday and her eyes widened noticing that he wasn't there. "Ken…shin…" Was all that she managed to say before she quickly got dressed in her kimono and hurried out the bedroom door. "Kenshin?" She asked as she looked through the dojo. He wouldn't leave her again, not after she had just showed her feelings to him. Or would he? Her heart began to race as she searched around the dojo for him in any of his usual spots to where he could be.

"Something wrong, Kaoru?" Kenshin asked which made Kaoru's already beating heart beat even faster.

"Thank goodness…." Kaoru sighed in relief as she spun around to look at the red head rurouni.

"Something wrong?" Kenshin asked with confused eyes and nearly fell over once the woman he loved almost literally jumped on him. "ORO?" He asked as he tried not to fall over and now noticed that Kaoru was crying. "Ka..oru…."

"I thought… I thought that you left again." Kaoru said crying in to his chest. Kenshin couldn't help but place an arm around her.

"Would you be mad, if this one had to leave?" Kenshin asked which made the tearful Kaoru look at him. "This one will be back."

"Kenshin, but you… we…." Kaoru studered to say, still embarrassed about last night.

"Sessha knows, Kaoru." Kenshin started to say but was interrupted.

"That.. is all rather amusing." Said an all too familiar, un-wanted voice which quickly made Kenshin's eyes jerk over toward the top of the dojo and saw an unwanted guest squatting on top of the dojo's wall.

"Setsuna…" Kenshin growled dangerously as he now stood in front of Kaoru protectively. "Kenshin, Kenshin, Kenshin, you never did change well besides the fact that you no longer kill people and well the part with women never changes for you anyway." Setsuna said with a grin on his lips.

"What does…" Kaoru started to say but was interrupted by Kenshin. "Leave these people out of it, Setsuna." Kenshin ordered the man who now jumped down from the dojo's wall and landed a good distance away from the couple.

"I see that you haven't told your little female friend there… what was her name? Ah yes, I think you called her Kaoru right?" Sestuna asked and enjoyed looking at Kenshin's emotional-less eyes as they stared at him. "Tomoe, so you never told her about your first love?"

_"Tomoe?"_ Kaoru thought somewhat painfully as she stared at Kenshin with questioning eyes. (You can correct me if I'm wrong, but I heard that Tomoe was Kenshin's wife in Samurai X or wherever that was that they mentioned Tomoe… I don't know… I haven't seen that far in to the series.)

"So by your silence Kenshin, you never told _little_ Kaoru here about _your_ Tomoe." Sestuna said smirking.

"I'm warning you Setsuna, you have your chance to get out of here unharmed." Kenshin warned with an unfriendly growl.

"Unharmed, if I remember correctly it was _you_ who got injured in our last battle or correct me if I'm wrong, but I'd say that you're still hurt since well it hasn't been that long since our last encounter." Setsuna continued. "Tomoe, Kaoru-San, was Kenshin's first wife, a long time ago."

Kaoru stared at Sestuna with wide, shocked eyes not knowing what to say or even believe him. There where many things about Kenshin's past that she didn't know about, she never even asked him. He was nearing his thirties so it could have been possible, but if he was married, and they just did what they did then… Oh god, she didn't know what to do, her head was spinning like crazy. All this time she had been flirting and trying to get an already married man to confess his feelings to her. Why didn't she think that he never said anything was because he was already married! She… she wanted to cry, run away, something, she didn't know how to face Kenshin now. He could have had CHILDREN with this Tomoe woman already and she had just slept with him last night. She felt hurt, and dirty, she had given up her virginity to an already married man. This was against her morals, even if she did love him.

"I'll give you time for your wound to heal Kenshin, and then I'm coming back for you. Or I'll just send for you, to where and when I decide to continue my little game, I don't even know, but I seem to be wining already since well there goes one of the people that you love. Seriously Kenshin, or is it Himura-san? Or does it really matter what you are called?" Setsuna asked with laughing eyes. "Good day, until the next time we meet, try to stay alive." With that Setsuna was gone, and a cool autumn breeze blew by the almost empty dojo.

Kaoru just stood there unmoving, and not being able to say anything. She didn't know _what_ to say or what to even do. _'Ken… Kenshin… Kenshin's married…'_ Was the only thing that went through her mind as she now felt really sick to her stomach. She was still standing so close to him, but yet, she didn't know what to do or why he had even agreed to her selfish favor yesterday._ "Let me be with you…"_ She had selfishly asked him with out thinking. Warm hands suddenly touched her shoulders which instantly made her look up in to the rurouni's eyes. She knew that he could tell what she was probably thinking and feeling since he was usually good at that type of thing, when it came to things other then love.

"We need to talk, Kaoru-Dono…" Kenshin said softly, almost in a whisper.

Kaoru-Dono, he had called her just by her name earlier and now he was calling her Kaoru-Dono again. She must have done something horribly wrong last night with him. "H..hai!" Kaoru agreed.

Kenshin could see the look of hurt, confusion, and loosing trust in Kaoru-Dono's eyes. He should have told her before he had agreed to be with her when she asked him, but he couldn't help it. He couldn't stop himself, and now Setsuna had told Kaoru about Tomoe, a name he hadn't brought up in a very long time.

Kenshin managed to sit Kaoru down after making some tea to calm her and poured her a cup and handed it to her. She seemed to be in a trance like state to him, and he couldn't get out of answering this, he owed Kaoru-Dono this much. But where to begin? His past was long and bloody, even his short life with Tomoe had been a dangerous one. "Tomoe…" He started to say as he stared at Kaoru and was somewhat relief when she finally looked up at him. "It's true that I was married to Tomoe, but that was a long time ago, Kaoru-Dono." Kenshin finally managed to say and could watch Kaoru's trance like eyes turn in to questioning ones. "It was during the war that I was married to her, and she ended up being killed by enemy samurai at a young age. " Kenshin said. (I don't know if this is true or not but hey this is what I'm sticking with for the fic.) "She was the reason why sessha had vowed never to love again, but this one seems to have broken his promise on that." Kenshin said.

"Why didn't you tell me, Kenshin?" Kaoru asked. "Why?"

"Kaoru-Dono never asked." Kenshin replied. "When we first started living together, wasn't it Kaoru-Dono who said "I don't care about your past?" Kenshin asked which made Kaoru look at him.

"Sorry, Kenshin…" Kaoru apologized which made Kenshin make those weird confusing eyes of his. "Oro?" Was all that Kenshin said.

"I was beginning to accuse you of… of… using me even though you where an already man." Kaoru said almost silently.

"There is nothing to apologize for so there's nothing to forgive." Kenshin answered the young female. "However…" He said seriously. "Setsuna appearing here will force me to leave sooner then I wanted."

"No!" Kaoru protested. "Stay, I… I want you to stay…"

"Kaoru…" Kenshin said only his lover's name this time which made Kaoru look at him. "Sessha will come back." Kenshin promised. "Though there are a few things that this one has to take care of first, before he comes back."

"Kenshin, he already said that he would…." Kaoru protested but was silenced.

"This one will not play Setsuna's games." Kenshin said coldly and Kaoru could tell that there was no argument in this. "I will not play his games." Kenshin repeated and Kaoru could tell that there was a tint of gold in those wonderful purple eyes of his.

"Just promise me that you'll come back to me." Kaoru said sadly as she now stood up and moved over to his side of the table.

"Sessha promises, Kaoru." Kenshin said as he could now feel Kaoru's head rest against his shoulder. "However there is one errand that this one has to run before sessha leaves town." Kenshin said sweetly.

Kaoru wondered if she should have asked but decided against it.

"This one will not leave until tomorrow, and this time, it's a promise." Kenshin said as he stood up. "Sessha will be back later this evening, Kaoru." He said and bent over to kiss Kaoru on the forehead.

Kaoru sat there not knowing how long even after he left. "Kenshin…" Kaoru said to herself, not afraid to say what she meant to think to herself out loud since she was alone. "Open your heart to me." She stared at the close door waiting as if he would come back the next moment. _'You are a man of too many secrets.'_

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Cute huh? I was trying to be. Kenshin/Kaoru, the best Rurouni Kenshin couple ever! If you are a Tomoe/Kenshin fan… I say FORGET YOU! I mean geeze… Tomoe isn't even a main character in the story and well what can I say? Don't dwell on the past or you'll never be able to move ahead. Wow… I'm too hyper for my own good. O.O Well anyways I hope that you enjoyed this LONGER chapter. Please leave a review.


	10. Chapter 10

Hey it's me again. It's been a few days or has it been a week already? I can't remember when the last time I posted was… well actually now to come to think of it I can just look that up ne? Haha! Thanks for all of the info on the whole Tomoe/Kenshin thing. From some people I heard that they where married and so that's where I got that idea from. Haha! Thanks! Also just to get this straight, **this isn't my first fic**. This is my first Rurouni Kenshin fic but not my first fic ever. You can go look at some of the others if you want. (Just thought I'd let you know. ) Well please enjoy and sorry for the wait.

-Darkia-

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**CHAPTER TEN**

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Kenshin stopped by Megumi's while he was in town and offered to help since he wanted to talk to her when she go the chance to.

"You really are leaving again Ken-San?" Megumi asked feeling the already too familiar seen from the first time Kenshin had left.

"Yes, I have to, only Kaoru-Dono seems to understand this time." He said once they where alone.

"When?" Megumi asked. "Are you leaving?"

"Early in the morning, but I want you to stop by tonight." Kenshin said.

"Why?" Megumi asked.

"Surprise." Kenshin said. "Kaoru-Dono doesn't even know."

Megumi sighed. "I don't understand you and don't think I will."

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Kaoru couldn't seem to focus when she was at work today, her not wanting to be there didn't help very much. _'Kenshin, you seem to show feelings for me, but you won't stay, why?'_ She asked herself and suddenly blinked once she felt a wack to the back of her head.

"Are you alright, Kaoru-Sensei?" The young boy who reminded her of an older Yahiko asked.

"I'm fine, don't worry, it was my fault for not paying attention." Kaoru said and smiled.

"One day I will get you, fair and square." The boy scowled and then went back to stance one. "I want to go again."

"Sorry, find another partner." Kaoru told him. "There are others who need help." She was working at only two other dojos now since she had quit that one after the sensei there had told her about the whole marriage thing. Kenshin had come back yes, but not out of his own free will. Kaoru couldn't help but to think about it even though she knew her mind should have been focused on sword fighting. Well at least she knew where she could put her anger at, practicing with the students. She didn't want to admit that she was feeling somewhat depressed, but she couldn't help but feel that way. The threatening clouds above weren't helping the situation any either. When it was finally time for class to end, the students left as usual. "Don't get caught in the rain!" She yelled after them.

"HAI!" Some of the younger children shouted as they ran off.

"Kaoru-San, a young man is waiting for you out front." The actual owner of the dojo said and Kaoru nodded. "Thank you, Touya-San." Kaoru said bowed and headed out.

"Don't get caught in the rain, Kaoru-San." The man said. "I don't want to have to worry about you getting sick again."

"Hai, Hai." Kaoru said and gave a fake smile and then headed to the front gate. She blinked in surprise to find Sano there. "What are you doing here?"

"Kenshin asked that I come pick you up." Sano replied expecting a punch in the arm or anywhere else for that matter.

"I can take care of myself." Kaoru shouted and blinked as Sano pulled an umbrella above the two of them as the rain started to fall down.

"Normally I don't mind the rain, but Kenshin would kick my ass if you got sick again." Sano said and Kaoru had to smile. "Thanks." She said which surprised Sano.

"Are you alright with him leaving again?" Sano asked and could see Kaoru's smile turn in to a frown.

"I have no choice in the matter." Kaoru said. "I.. I'm not anything more then just a close friend so I can't stop him anyway."

"You know that he cares for you right, Jo-Chan?" Sano asked.

"Sometimes I wonder about that." Kaoru said sighing. "Don't let him know that I'm worried about him like this." Kaoru said. "He wouldn't stay anyway."

"I know, if this was some other guy, I'd kick his ass!" Sano said trying to cheer the younger female up and could tell that it worked since Kaoru now had a slight grin on her lips.

"Yes but in this case, Kenshin would kick your butt Sanosuke-Kun." Kaoru said and started to laugh at the thought of Sano trying to beat Kenshin. He's tried to before, and it wasn't really funny but imagining it and seeing it where two totally different things. "I wonder what's for dinner…"

"Do you even know who's cooking?" Sano asked and Kaoru shrugged. "Who knows, ever since Kenshin came back it kind of screwed around with mine and Yahiko cooking nights."

Sano just stared at her blankly. "Yahiko-Chan cooks?"

"Yeah, Kenshin taught him." Kaoru stopped once she saw an unwanted familiar figure. "Setsuna…" She said barely speaking and Sano stopped walking.

"Who?" Sano asked.

"Setsuna, the one who is behind Kenshin's injury." Kaoru explained. "He stopped by the dojo earlier."

"If he can injure Kenshin like that he must be pretty tough." Sano said.

"Just keep walking but keep an eye out for him." Kaoru said still holding her sword from practice earlier.

"Can't I go and just kick his ass?" Sano asked.

"No, I don't want you to get hurt either." Kaoru explained before she could say or do anything next, she could feel strong hands pulling at her outfit. (The one that she works out in, I'm not sure what it's called and if you wana tell me, go right ahead!) "Sano!" She called as she felt part of it being pulled.

"GET YOUR FUCKING HANDS OFF OF HER!" Sanosuke shouted and punched Setsuna square in the face. Setsuna just smiled at Sano as Sano stood in between the two over protectively. _'Shit if this guy can beat Kenshin then I'm screwed!'_ Sanosuke thought to himself as he now heard the umbrella fall to the ground.

"I can see why Himura-San likes her so much, she gives such a nice view." Setsuna said with a grin.

"I just came to see why he likes her and now I understand. Tell him that I may or may not leave you people alone when he leaves, whenever that will be. But tell him that I will leave before him." Sestuna said and seemed to almost literally disappear.

Kaoru just stood there, now soaking wet in the rain and was shaking and crying. "Bastared…" Sanosuke growled as he walked over to Kaoru and sighed. "Here, cover yourself up with this until I get you home." Kaoru just stood there in shock, only half caring that her cleavage was showing and Sano looked up as he grabbed the jacket and pulled it closer around Jo-chan. "Come on Jo-Chan, we need to get you home."

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Yahiko and Kenshin where walking home from the market, even though it was raining and Yahiko nearly dropped everything once he spotted Kaoru and Sanosuke as they turned down the path that lead to Kaoru's dojo. "Kenshin, something happened." Yahiko said and Kenshin looked up, and managed to spot Kaoru wearing Sanosuke's jacket in time. "Kaoru-Dono…" Yahiko grabbed his arm. "Come on, yelling her name won't do any good, especially over this storm." Yahiko said which made Kenshin's temper rise once again. "Come on, we need to catch up."

"You go on ahead, I'll catch up." Yahiko said knowing that Kenshin was so much faster then he was. "I'll take you're share of the food back in." Before Yahiko could even say that, Kenshin was gone.

Kaoru couldn't help but to still shake as Sano walked her home and flinched every time he even tried to touch her on the shoulder. She brought the jacket close tightly to her and didn't care when the rain even touched her. Setsuna had tried to rape her! Why? Why did he have to ruin things for her and Kenshin? Kenshin had finally confessed and maybe Kenshin would have stayed if it wasn't for this Setsuna character. Why? Why? She almost didn't realize that she had just now walked right in to Kenshin. She could see that his eyes where blazing gold, a dangerous color for her Kenshin. She looked down ashamed to be seen like this. Setsuna didn't do anything, but he could of if he wanted to beat Sanosuke in to a pulp to which he didn't for some odd reason and just ripped her outfit after attempted rape and left. Kenshin jerked her head up to look in to his flashing eyes.

"Sestuna did this to you, didn't he Kaoru-Dono." Kenshin asked calmly but seriously, one eye was gold and the other was purple.

"Ken…shin…" Kaoru managed to say, wanting to cry, but just clung to him instead and ended up crying anyway.

"Sanosuke, you where suppose to be watching her, tell me what happened." Kenshin ordered. "Inside, I want let Kaoru change and get dry."

Sano was not going to argue, what Kenshin wanted, Kenshin got, especially with that tone of voice! No one, not even the police men where stupid enough to bother Kenshin, having have heard of his old samurai identity.

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"I'm going to kill him." Kenshin said and Kaoru looked up, not wanting Kenshin to ever have to kill again. "I'm leaving and will kill that man." Kenshin promised.

"Kenshin I don't want you to…"

"He will bother us no matter what, Kaoru-Dono." Kenshin said, his eyes still the same two colors as they where earlier. "However before that I have a surprise for you." He said once Megumi came in.

"Konnichiwa minna-san, perfect time to do this, isn't it Ken-San, when it's all wet and raining." Kaoru said not having had heard of the attempted rape situation earlier.

"Do what?" Yahiko asked as he sat next to Sano quietly.

"I brought one." Megumi said to Kenshin who nodded.

"Kaoru-Dono, this one was hoping that my surprise to you would have been a happier one if it was not for what happened earlier today; however since Megumi-Dono had gone through the trouble of doing this favor for me, then this one has no choice but to go through with it." He didn't want to, but maybe it would cheer Kaoru up some.

"Kamiya, Kaoru, will you marry this one?" Kenshin asked and Kaoru just stared at him in shock.

"This is sessha's promise to you, that he will come back." Kenshin said, his eyes back to their normal violet.

"Hai, Himura, Kenshin, I will." Kaoru said with out a second thought about that, wanting to have hear those words for such a long time.

The wedding wasn't much, and Kaoru managed to find her parent's old wedding rings to use, she was sure that father wouldn't mind, and she was glad that she didn't sell them like she was tempted to a few times. Kenshin actually smiled at her, which made Kaoru blush and then that night, felt like it was a dream. However, the reality of the dream was, was that in the morning, Kenshin was gone, her husband had left to go finish off some battle that had started over some twenty years ago.

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"Sessha owes you an explanation about Sestuna." Kenshin said that night when they where alone, just sitting next to one another, looking up at the stars.

"Kenshin, this is our wedding night, now isn't the time to…" Kaoru started to protest but was easily interrupted.

"This is the best time." Kenshin continued. "Setsuna was a student with me under my master, he is, was my master's son. Setsuna's beliefs over the years made master angry with him, and disowned him as his son eventually after he had killed a man out of cold blood, and not during the war. For some odd reason, he became jealous of me at a very young age, when master started to, sessha was a favorite student so to speak."

(This is completely false so there! I need some reason!) "He hated master since master had started to, started to treat me like his son, as he always did, however, when Tomoe…" Kenshin didn't want to mention Tomoe on his wedding night. "We both met Tomoe and that's when he got really upset, he always wanted everything that Sessha had."

Kaoru just sat there listening and flinched at the name Tomoe.

"Sessha hasn't seen him until now since that day when Sessha killed Tomoe." Kenshin said. "Now Sessha believes that Setsuna has come back for revenge, for Tomoe, for master, and for everything that had to deal with a stupid boy's jealous revenge."

Kaoru just leaned against Kenshin, not wanting to hear about either Tomoe, or Setsuna. "That's in the past Kenshin." Kaoru said. "He will not get me."

"That is why this one has to leave to kill Setsuna." Kenshin replied. "So that no harm will come to Kaoru-Dono."

"Kaoru, Kenshin, just Kaoru, you are my husband now." Kaoru said smiling sadly. She smiled but it wasn't completely real.

"Yes, love, Kaoru."

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Kaoru looked down at the ring that was left on Kenshin's pillow and a note was left as well. "Give this back to Sessha once we meet again. Sessha will come back for you." Kaoru clutched the small object in her hand and held it close to her heart and cried.

"_The pain of the wife of a rurouni, fool, and the hikori batosai." _

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Here is the long waited chapter of A Time For A New Beginning. I know I spelt his samurai nick name wrong but it was from memory so yeah and it's late! I hope you all enjoy. Tell me what you think.

P.S. Thank you for all of the reviews.


	11. Chapter 11

**CHAPTER ELEVEN**

Karou Kamiya Himura sighed as she felt the months with out Kenshin slowly go by. She could feel the depression once again take over her even though Megumi tried to give her something for it, Karou wouldn't take it, she refused to take it. Kenshin was what she needed by now, not some medication that would make her feel happy temporarily. She was Kenshin's wife, and needed him by her side. She knew that he promised to come back, but she couldn't help not believing him. The blade hurt as it cut against her wrist and she could feel her warm blood start to come out of the fresh cut that she had just made. The blade dropped from her hand and she on the floor next to the blade.

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Kenshin wondered why it was taking Setsuna so long to attack him already, for the past two months he had been aimlessly wandering, mostly away from his new wife and his friends back home who where waiting for him. He didn't like how Setsuna was taking his little time to attack, Kenshin had left so that Setsuna would follow him away from them but he was beginning to wonder if him leaving was a bad idea. He managed to keep his other side calm by thinking that when this was all over, he could have his young wife in his arms once again. They had known one another all of this time, but it took him up until now to confess his feelings for her. Ever since he had to kill Tomoe, he swore he would never love again, but times had supposedly changed, up until Setsuna showed his face once again. He would kill Setsuna and this would be his last kill.

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Kaoru woke some time later to find herself once again in a bed and looked up at familiar blue eyes. Her wrist hurt, and then she remembered that she tried to kill herself.

"You can't do this Kaoru-Chan, it isn't healthy." Megumi said as she changed a dry wash cloth to a damn one. "Not for you or the baby."

"Baby, what baby?" Kaoru asked Megumi having a hard time keeping her eyes focused.

"You're pregnant Kaoru-Chan." Megumi said.

"How can you tell that?" Kaoru asked still a bit dazzed.

"I'm a doctor and a woman, when was the last time you had you're cycle?" Megumi asked.

"Megumi-san! That's a personal thing to ask!" Kaoru said somewhat embarrassed.

"I'm a doctor Kaoru-Chan, just answer the question."

"Since before Kenshin left…" Now that she thought about it she missed her last one.

"See my point exactly." Megumi said. "Ken-san would be mad at me if I let anything happen to his wife and his child."

Kaoru didn't know whether to cry or to be happy, she didn't know! Tears of both sorrow and tears of joy came down her eyes as she turned to the side and felt a comforting hand on her back. _'Kenshin, come home soon, I need you.'_

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Setsuna laughed silently to himself as he watched Kenshin in the shadows. "You will pay dearly old friend, yes you will pay. You're love, joy, and happiness shall be purged from you."

Kenshin then could sense Setsuna's ki near by. It was low, but now low enough to for him not to completely sense it. "Come out!"

The man laughed. "So Kenshin, I didn't think you still had it in you. I'll be seeing you, oh yes that I will." Setsuna said in a mocking tone of voice.

"You will face me now Setsuna." A dangerous voice ordered as Kenshin's eyes flickered gold once again as his dark side once again emerged and he kept his hand rested on his sword's hilt. "You wanted me Setsuna, now you have me!"

"Himura-San, it's so nice to see you again."

"Let's get this done and over with now!" Kenshin, batousai ordered dangerously.

"No, I don't think so, I'm not in the mood to play today. I'll be in touch, I can promise you that."

"GET BACK HERE!" Kenshin ordered when it seemed as if Setsuna had just simply vanished in to thin air.

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I know that this long awaited chapter has been really short but I do apologize for that. I kind of lost interest in this story and am just writing it to finish it and not leave it un-completed. I hate leaving things only half way done. Well hope that you enjoyed this short chapter.

Darkia-


	12. Chapter 12

**CHAPTER TWELVE**

Kaoru sighed as three months seemed to go quickly by and she seemed to start to get bigger, just barely, but she was noticing it. She had no way of contacting Kenshin who had never responded to her at all since he had left three months ago, and she was having a hard time from keeping herself from crying at night when she was alone. She had never relied on Kenshin this much, but now that they where husband and wife, it seemed like she wanted him around more, to hold him, to do anything that a wife should do. Everyone helped her whenever they could, but it still wasn't the same, with out Kenshin. Her cuts on her wrists had healed and left two white scars on each one of her arms which where easily covered by her kimono.

"KAORU!" She heard a voice yell out to her which made her head turn around. "Kaoru!"

"What is it, Yahiko-Chan?" Kaoru asked since he appeared to be all out of breath. She wondered if it was from him running all the way over here or if it was from him screaming so loudly, something must have come up.

"A letter, came today for you." Yahiko said. "Though it has no return address on it." The young boy said as he handed Kaoru the letter and she snatched it out of his hands and quickly opened it, and she recognized Kenshin's hand writing immediately.

_I know that this may not be enough but I hope that this is better then nothing,_

_I hope that you can find it in your heart to forgive Sessha's selfishness by running away like this to go fight a shadow from the pass, but Sessha hopes that in the end that you will forgive Sessha since Sessha is doing this for you. Sessha may write to you from time to time so you do not worry as much, but Sessha knows that you most likely will worry no matter how many letters come your way. Sessha misses you dearly and hopes to return home soon._

_Love_

_Kenshin_

Kaoru read the letter once again and tried not to cry. There was no return address so she assumed that he didn't want a response back from her. "It's from Kenshin." She finally said to Yahiko who blinked.

"What does it say?" Yahiko asked with out thinking.

"That's private." Kaoru snapped and the young samurai fell back in his place. "Though it appears that he will most likely be gone for some time. I just hope that he will be home in time to see his child after it's born." Kaoru said blushing as she rested a hand on her stomach.

"That baka." Yahiko accidentally thought out loud. "Hey, Kaour-san, if you want, when you're not able to teach any more when you're later on in your pregnancy, I can teach your students if you want."

"Nice try, Yahiko, but I'm teaching as long as I can. I don't want to go soft just because I'm married now." She said.

"Soft, you're already…." Yahiko shut up once he felt Kaoru's fist punching him in the head. "ITAI!" (Ouch) He shouted in pain. "WHAT THE HELL WAS THAT FOR?"

"For what you where going to say!" Kaoru snapped back. "I have students to teach, excuse me."

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Months had passed and Kenshin hadn't spotted Setsuna since that time when he should have killed him right then and right there. "HEY YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO CARRY A SWORD!" A policeman suddenly shouted at Kenshin who quickly turned around to see the man coming at him.

_'Not this again!'_ Kenshin thought rather annoyed of this bothersome no sword law since he got stopped in every town! "ORO!" Kenshin suddenly said as a man tackled him down and pinned him to the ground.

"You are under arrest for the banning sword law." The man said.

Kenshin was dragged up to his feet and the sword was taken away. "Not this again!"

"What makes you think that you can go around and carry a sword, swords are against the law now, you should know." The man said.

"Sorry, but can I have it back? This one is a simple rurouni." Kenshin said which made the police officer look at him furiously.

"What did you say?" The man asked.

"Is there someone higher up that I can speak to?" Kenshin asked and laughed nervously.

"Oh, so you're wanting to be a smart guy now huh? You think that you can just get away with this?"

"Just let him go, Mamoru." Another police officer ordered the man who had tackled Kenshin.

"But sir…"

"Can't you see who he is?" The older man asked.

"No…" Mamoru replied.

"Himura-san, sorry about that, but Mamoru-san (This is in more animes then besides Sailor Moon. UU) here is a little too up tight.

"But sir… wait did you just call him Himura-san?" Mamoru asked.

"Yes, I did, now give him back his sword, it can't kill anyone."

Mamoru unsheathed the sword and looked at it strangely. "So it really is true, the former Hitokiri Battosai, is you?" The man asked as he re-sheathed the sakabato and then handed it back to Kenshin.

"Himura-San, what are you doing in these part of the woods?" Yamagata asked.

"Personal business, Yamagata-San." Kenshin replied.

"I'm surprised that you're not with that woman and child that I always see you with, I hope that I haven't said too much." Yamagata said almost forgetting his manners.

"I had to leave them at home since this is a surprise for my new wife." Kenshin lied. "If I brought either one of them with me then there would be trouble if they found out."

"Ah yes, so you're finally married?" Yamagata asked. "I'm sorry, I'm asking too much." He apologized.

"No, it's fine, we are old friends after all, Yamagata-San and yes, it's been a few months now." Kenshin said not exactually sure how long he had been away from home.

"Well, I'm sure that you'll be a happy couple, if you'll excuse me, I have business I need to look in to if you know what I mean." Yamagata said.

"Yes." Kenshin replied.

"Good bye for now, Himura-San." Yamagata said as he headed for a carriage that was waiting for him, got in and left.

_'My business is more personal then yours.'_ Kenshin thought as he headed back on to the path and hoped that no more cops would come to bother him about the sword.

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Megumi as Kaoru's doctor had ordered her to eat healthier and not to work as much but it was difficult to do both since she had to run the dojo to make money for her and Yahiko to live off of. Sanosuke was being overly helpful and it made Kaoru wonder to where he had gotten the money from time to time. Kaoru had now been pregnant for five months and it had been two months since she had got a letter from Kenshin. Three more months until their baby was born, and she had no way to let Kenshin know that she was even pregnant. She cried often at night, especially when she could feel the emptiness of their futon with out him there. He had left the ring with her, which she still wore around her neck, waiting for him to come home so she could give it back to them and they live as a happy family.

"Jou-Chan, you shouldn't be doing that, let me do that for you." Sanosuke said as she tried to sweep the floor of the dojo trying to get the absence of her husband off of her mind.

"No, I got it!" Kaoru protested and was quickly sat down by Sanosuke who took the broom out of her hand.

"Kenshin would kill me if any thing happened to you." Sanosuke said as he started to continue where Kaoru had left off. "Besides I'm surprised that you can hardly stand with all of that extra wait that you're caring." He had done it, he had said something he would soon regret he hadn't.

"So you think I'm fat do you?" Kaoru snapped at him as she stood up as quickly as she could.

"Umm…" Sanosuke studdered.

"THAT'S NOT MY FAULT! IT'S NOT LIKE I ASKED TO BE PREGNANT!" She shouted at him and chunked the nearest thing at him that she could reach which happened to be a small pebble. She then walked as quickly as she could to her room and slammed the door shut. She tossed herself gently on to the futon and cried. "Come home soon, Kenshin, I need you."

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There really isn't much action here but that's because I have a reason for that. Well here's your next chaptie! MWHAHAHAHAHAHA Don't ask… I'm hyper, I just had oh 8 cookies. O.o


	13. Chapter 13

**CHAPTER THIRTEEN**

Kaoru's seven month came quickly, quicker then she thought it would, she was ordered to stay in bed all day only to get up for a short walk and things like that. She hated to waste the money to do it, but she had to get a bigger kimono since her other ones no longer fit her. She gasped as she suddenly saw Setsuna standing at her bedroom door. "What are you doing here?" She asked as she managed to stand up and reached for her wooden sword which hung on the wall. "Why? Kenshin left so you would leave us alone!" Kaoru said.

"No, I never agreed to that or I can't remember that I did." Setsuna said as he moved closer to Kaoru. "And I don't think you can do very much harm to me in that condition of yours. Does you're beloved Himura-San know that you're with his child?"

Kaoru stared at Setsuna somewhat coldly. _'I can't call Yahiko to help since he's not here, and then Sanosuke's not here either.'_ Kaoru thought nervously. He was right about two things, Kenshin didn't know, and she couldn't fight very well like this. Her heart raced as Setsuna easily knocked her sword out of her hand and pinned her to the wall. _'Kenshin, Kenshin…'_ She thought panicking as he leaned closely over to her and put his hand on her stomach which made her glare at him furiously. _'Kenshin hasn't been able to do that yet but this man, this man…'_

"Lively isn't it?" Setsuna asked. "However, you will be the last thing that Himura-San will ever see again." Setsuna said and Kaoru looked at him fearfully as he knocked her out, hitting her in the back. He caught her as she fell and didn't even bother to look around as an unwanted guess came along.

"KAROU!" Yahiko yelled as he pulled his sword off of his back. "Let her go NOW!"

"Oh, this woman, does she really mean that much to you?" Setsuna asked mockingly.

"LET Kaoru-San go!" Yahiko called and watched as Setsuna lifted Kaoru up in to his arms and walked toward him.

"No, I don't think so, Himura-san needs to suffer and I guess like that means that I'll have to get you as well." Setsuna said smiling crookedly as he carefully put Kaoru down and looked at Yahiko. "I wouldn't even try that you know, you won't even touch me." Setsuna easily dodged Yahiko's attack by moving to the side and knocked Yahiko's wooden sword out of his hand by just barely hitting Yahiko's arm and broke the sword in half. "Now what are you going to use?"

Yahiko clenched his fists together as well as his teeth The next thing he knew, he could feel himself being hit in the head and the light around him disappeared. Yahiko's body fell to the ground with a thud and Setsuna laughed. "Pathetic, you're ways of Kamiya Kasshin ryu." Sestsuna said laughing as he once again picked up Kaoru and left the dojo, stepping over Yahiko. "I think I will leave you here, helpless and defenseless of not knowing what to do, this is my way of torturing you."

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When Yahiko woke up he didn't know how long he had been knocked out or even how long he had been there. "KAORU!" He shouted and noticed that the female was gone. "Shit… Kenshin's going to kill me!" Yahiko thought as he looked around the dojo helplessly looking for his sensei. "KAORU!" He shouted again and jumped once he heard footsteps behind him. "Whose there?" He asked before he quickly spun around to see Sanosuke and Megumi standing there.

"Yahiko-kun, what's wrong?" Megumi asked as she bent down to Yahiko's height and put a hand on his shoulder.

"SETSUNA TOOK KAORU!" Yahiko shouted which made Megumi take a step back and Sanosuke just stared at him.

"What?" Sano asked.

"Hai! He knocked me out… itai…" Yahiko said just now feeling the pain in his hand and in the back of his head to where Setsuna had hit him.

"Why would he want Jou-Chan?" Sanosuke asked over protectively.

"I don't know." Yahiko said and then felt Megumi's hand on Yahiko's shoulder again.

"I hope that she's alright since she's seven months now, she shouldn't be pushed too hard." Megumi said. "For now we can only hope that she'll be alright and that Kenshin will find her soon."

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When Kaoru woke up she was tied by her hands and her feel and was in some sort of wagon. Her mouth was gagged and she glared up to find Setsuna driving the wagon.

"We're almost to where you're husband is now, Kaoru-dono." Setsuna said mockingly and Kaoru's eyes showed great anger. Only Kenshin was allowed to call her that. Just like Sanosuke was the only one allowed to call her Jou-chan.

Silent tears came down her eyes as she felt her baby kick inside of her. _'Kenshin, please, I need you.'_

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Setsuna stopped the wagon some where in the forest and then picked Kaoru up who would have fought back if it weren't the fact that she was afraid that she would fall and end up landing on her stomach and would end up hurting the baby. She felt sick beyond belief and she wanted to get away from this man so much, but she couldn't. Her hands and feet where tied together and he then started to tie her against a tree. Her eyes widen in fear when she saw the rope and wondered where he would put it. She was surprised that he had tied her hands and feet to the tree rather then around her waist or her stomach. He also tied her right below her chest, being sure not to hurt the baby, but why would he do that? He could just easily kill her baby and her if he wanted to so why was he being so careful?

"We are now in Kyoto." Setsuna whispered in Kaoru's ear. "Now you wait there and watch me and you're husband fight, this will be it whoever lives through this will be the one who wins." Kaoru didn't know when she became so weak since she was never this weak and could barely help herself but to pass out.

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Kenshin once again stopped walking as he sensed another's ki around him, two of them, both oddly familiar. He then saw Setsuna sitting carelessly on a rock eating an apple. "Setsuna we finish this now and I mean now!" Kenshin said angrily as he glared at the man.

"Come now Himura-San, is this the way you treat someone who holds your wife captive?" Setsuna asked as he took another bite out of his apple. "You can kill me now but if you kill me you will never learn where in these woods to where I have left your wife."

"Take me to her." Kenshin ordered as he tried to calm himself, his eyes flashing dangerously from purple to gold. "NOW!"

"Perhaps, after my meal."

Kenshin pulled out his sword and sliced the apple in two, he had reversed the blade. This weapon was no longer just one to protect others, it was a weapon to kill another.

"Very well now that I'm finished." Setsuna said sighing sarcastically as he whipped his hands off on to his shirt and walked Kenshin through the woods.

Kenshin's eyes widen once Setsuna stopped and he saw Kaoru tied to a tree, what more was that he saw how large she had gotten while he was away. "KAORU-DONO!" Kenshin yelled at his wife who rested there unconsciouncely. "KAORU-DONO!"

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Kaoru woke up at that moment to find Kenshin standing a distance in front of her and didn't know what to do. "Ken…shin…" Kaoru muttered and blushed even in this situation he could make her blush like that.

"What did he do to you, Kaoru-Dono?" Kenshin asked angrily as he walked forward to go to his wife but was stopped by Setsuna. "If you want her you'll have to finish our little fight, if you don't then you'll get killed by me and I get to kill you're wife and you're child with in her."

"Child, Kaoru-Dono?" Kenshin asked somewhat shocked as he stared at the woman who was tied up against the tree.

"Yes, Kenshin." Kaoru said quietly and tears came down her eyes.

Battousai came out as Kenshin's eyes now turned red and fierce as they glared at Setsuna. "You will not lay a hand on Sessha's family." Battousai ordered. "This one will kill you for what you have done to Sessha's family."

"Ah, good, you're angry, that's what I wanted to see in this fight. That I did." Setsuna said in a mocking tone of voice as he with drew his blade which had no reversed side. Setsuna's blade, was a blade meant to kill and hurt others. "I have been waiting too long and I can see that you are now healed and mended completely. NOW KAORU HIMURA WATCH AS YOUR BELOVED HUSBAND DIES!"

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	14. Chapter 14

**CHAPTER FOURTEEN**

Kaoru watched in horror as the batousai part of her husband clashed swords with Setsuna. Each person's style was the same, since they both had the same teacher. Each one seemed as equal in strength, but that wasn't it, they just knew what one another's moves was going to be. Kaoru just stared wide eyed at the two and could feel her heart race. "KENSHIN!" She screamed as she watched Setsuna's sharp blade cut against Kenshin's arm.

Kenshin ignored the "scratch" and just ripped the remaining piece of his sleeve off and let the wind take it away. His eyes where a dangerous red color, and he stared at Setsuna almost with out blinking. His reversed blade was calling for blood, the blood of the man who had threatened his family and friends. The man who had wanted for countless years to take everything away from him. All emotion but hatred left his being, leaving him an almost emotionless shell as sakura petals started to fall from their trees and blew in the wind. (I never really set a specific season in this fic so :p you can't stay anything about that! MWHAHAHAHAHAHAHA) The two men paused only for a split second before clashing together once again with their swords.

Kaoru's breath heaved as she watched the fight, she couldn't help but to panic, she didn't want Kenshin to loose and she didn't want Kenshin to kill either. He had promised never to kill again, her heart felt like it would pump out of her chest.

Setsuna smiled wildly as they fight continued and the evening changed in to the night. "Just like old times, right Himura-San?" Setsuna asked as they blocked swords once again but he received no answer from Kenshin who just gave him a cold stare.

"This will be you're last fight battousai!" Setsuna shouted as he plunged forth with the blade in his hands and Kenshin easily dodged it by jumping up in to the air, letting the night sky cover him. Normally in a normal battle Kenshin would have shouted the name of his attack but this time, he wanted to kill Setsuna in one clean sweep. He brought the blade down to kill Setsuna but almost stopped when he heard Kaoru screaming.

"NO KENSHIN DON'T!"

Kenshin quickly reversed the blade once more to where the blade was back in its original spot to where it couldn't kill as he heard his wife's pleading voice somewhere in the darkness and hit Setsuna with the attack and watched as Setsuna flew backwards, and was knocked unconscioucne. Kenshin's eyes turned back to normal once he realized that Setsuna was knocked out cold and walked over to his wife and made his sword to where the blade was where it was suppose to be and he carefully cut Kaoru free.

Kaoru stared at Kenshin with teary eyes once she was on the firm ground and in his arms. "Ken…shin…." She whispered as she rested her head on to his shoulder which she had been waiting to do for so long, to touch him in any way.

"It's over." Kenshin said and blinked a bit as Kaoru brought his hand to her stomach and rested it there. "ORO?" Kenshin asked confused.

"Our child Kenshin." Kaoru said blushing fiercely and he could barely see it in the moon light but he could tell that his young wife was blushing.

"I will protect you love." Kenshin promised as he pulled her in to a kiss, which Kaoru had waited once again to receive.

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The two had returned home and Kenshin had spent just about every waking moment with Kaoru as he could, expect for when he had to go to the market to buy things for that nights dinner and he noticed how he had to buy more then usual since Kaoru ate a lot more then usual now but he didn't mind, as long as she was happy. She was with his child, their child! Kenshin now felt like he could be at ease with his wife now that the danger of Setsuna was gone. When he had got back home however, Megumi scolded him for leaving Kaoru un-protected and ended up beating him aside the head a few times.

Kaoru smiled at Kenshin as they shared their first dinner together as husband and wife. "Kenshin, this is nearing my eighth month." Kaoru said as she once again placed Kenshin's hand on to her stomach after Kenshin had put the food down.

"Sessha knows, Megumi-Dono told Sessha." Kenshin said happily.

"This belongs to you." Kaoru said almost forgetting about her father, no Kenshin's ring around her neck and she took off the chain and held the ring out to her husband. She smiled happily as Kenshin took it and put it on his finger. "Make sure that it stays there for now on for now on ok?" Kaoru asked as she looked in to his violet eyes.

"Promise." Kenshin said as he put it on his finger. "Anything to make you happy." Kenshin said actually smiling, being happy for the first time in a long time. The newly wedded couple ate quietly through out the rest of the meal, each one just glancing at one another every once in a while and little things like that.

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I'm making this fic short so that I don't loose fans and so that I don't loose self interest. This should end in another chapter or so. I'm not making any promises to how many chapters there will be after this one. I have been getting very few reviews on the past few chapters so I must be loosing people's interest already on this. Well I hope that you enjoyed this chapter.


	15. Chapter 15

**CHAPTER FIFTEEN**

A new member was added to the Himura-Kamiya dojo on one chilly winter morning just before the snow began to fall in Tokyo. His name is Kenji, Himura, Kenji. A proud young mother looked down at her newborn son as she held him close, trying to keep him warm. Kaoru looked up at Kenshin and blushed as the baby boy started to cry. She held him to her husband who smiled down at her in their room. Kenji looked exactly like his father expect he didn't have long hair, but it was red, and he didn't have the two scars like his father did on his face. "Did I do well love?" Kaoru asked when the small family was alone and Kenshin nodded. "You did well." Kenshin said as he kissed his wife on her forehead. "You could never do anything to displease Sessha." Kenshin said happily as he sat next to his wife in their futon and she rested her head on his shoulder tiredly. "I love you, Himura, Kenshin." She said as the baby quieted down in his father's arms.

"Sessha loves you as well, Himura, Kaoru." Kenshin said as he held his new born son. "And this one promises that he will put away his sword, and never kill again."

That chilly early winter morning, a new name was added to the wall of students at the Kamiya school, he was still yet too young to practice or even to hold a sword, but there his name hung on the wall. Himura, Kenji.

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So here ends this feudal story in the 13th year of the Meiji in Tokyo, Japan in the Himura-Kamiya dojo. This story ends, but as this story fades away and becomes legend about the famous Hitokori Battousai, the manslayer, the rurouni, and the husband, his story will live on forever, in the hearts of those who have become his friends and family, and those he have touched.

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Well the last chapter is short and sweet It's short but hey it's better then a crappy ending right? And at least there is an ending. I thank everyone who had left reviews and oh well to those who didn't. This has been one of my best fan fics yet and I hope that you enjoyed it thoroughly.

Sayonara

-Darkia-


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